Planning your own event

Community festivals and events are a great way for the Surf Coast Shire community to come together in celebration. The Council is committed to promoting and supporting diversity through events that are well planned and conducted.

All events held in the Surf Coast Shire or on Great Ocean Road land can be applied for with the same form. For further information regarding the land manager, check the detailed map(PDF, 3MB) .

Approval times

Approval can take between three and twelve months to be granted. This can vary due to the complexity of your event, the number of permits your event requires, your current management plan and the number of agencies that need to make comment on your plan eg a large event may require road closures or significant traffic management planning.

Insurance

Events large and small usually need insurance cover to protect both the organiser and event participants. The only instance where you may not require insurance is for a one-off event in a Council-managed community house or hall, where the Surf Coast Shire's own insurance is usually sufficient. However it is still worth checking this, as a large one-off event may still require cover.